Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Pain
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Pain is a video game set after Kingdom Hearts: Keyblade War and before Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep and stars Eraqus and Xehanort in their younger years as Keyblade apprentices alongside a third female companion named Nexi. =Summary= The plot takes place several decades before the events of Birth by Sleep, centering around the teenage Keyblade Apprentices Xehanort, Eraqus, and Nexi. Xehanort and Eraqus being the students of the order's grandmaster Master Tetsu, and Nexi the student of Tetsu's old friend Master Nomur. They five of them and a third Master named Aya all reside in the Land of Departure. Xehanort is frustrated that he hasn't been made a master yet. During which time however the groups hears about how the Land of Departure has suddenly come under a large scale attack by a group of vicious monsters that come to be known as the Rebirthed. Xehanort wants to go with to prove himself, but Master Tetsu tells him that he and his friends are not ready for such a mission, but also that his time will come. (Though they aren't told it, it is because many students during his time were lost in a prior major conflict against a group known as the Cabal) Xehanort however ignores their warnings and follows after them anyway follwed by Eraqus and Nexi who want to make sure he stays safe and also don't mind the idea of proving themselves to their masters as well. The six Keybladers fight alongside Radiant Garden's army, including the land's famed hero named Sephiroth, and eventually manage to stop the attack. Xehanort during which time rescuing the land's king Gobanrehc from one of the more powerful Rebirthed. Gobanrehc thanks Xehanort for what he did, and commends him on his strength. The three masters scold their students for coming against orders to stay, but Gobanrehc steps in to defend them. Saying he believes that the battle could not have been won without their help, and that he would have lost his life if Xehanort had not saved him. The masters choose it to be wise to convene with Gobanrehc and the Radiant Garden council in order to discuss the situation and what should done to which he agrees. At the meeting is where the three students learn about the political strife between the Keyblade Warriors and Radiant Garden as well as the conflict with the Cabal. Gobanrehc explains that how until only two decades before it was only the Keyblade Warriors that could travel between worlds and watch-dogged all the worlds on their own. Thinking that the capability would become too easy to abuse and cause universal conflict if it got into the wrong hands. Citing that it was the previous king Elias who discovered the corridors of darkness that could allow people traverse to different worlds. Those pathways connecting to the mysterious Realm of Darkness. The Keyblade Warriors fight the idea of people using it because of their connections to darkness, and also because the members of the Cabal who were villains imprisoned there by the Keyblade Warriors for generations beforehand were freed because of their discovery. (It was also the place where Gobanrehc had been discovered by King Elias and rescued him) They also speculate that it is the corridors that the Rebirthed are using in order to travel and were able to invade Radiant Garden. Though Gobanrehc says that he believes the people have a right to converse with those of other worlds in order to help each other grow, develop, and learn from each other. Gobanrehc is also accused of being the cause for the Rebirthed being drawn to the world, as he following in King Elias' footsteps (though unknown to them it was actually all Gobanrehc's idea in the first place) was preaching that darkness was not something to be feared and could be balanced along with light in order to give people greater power and insight. Using as evidence the fact that it is darkness and not light that gives them the opportunity to escape the bounds of their one isolated world. The light vs darkness debate being the primary point of contention between Gobanrehc and the Keyblade Warriors that gives them an extremely critical relationship as the Keyblade Warriors see Darkness as being pure evil and all corrupting and thus cannot be controlled or used for good. (The most heated rivalry in particular being between he and Master Nomur) However, Xehanort begins to respect Gobanrehc and admire his ideals. Gobanrehc conversely develops a strong interest in Xehanort. Sensing great potential for darkness within him, as well as a great destiny. (Stemming from his time travel journey displayed in Dream Drop Distance that he holds no memory of) Because of this Gobanrehc (who in secret is actually the Black God known as Chernabog) decided to try and take Xehanort under his wing and eventually make him the first in a new order of Keyblade Warriors to serve him as well as use him to help destroy the current order. And lastly to use him and his keyblade in order to open the Altar of Power, a temple back from the Keyblade War era that was locked and sealed by the power of the Keyblade Order so that nobody could enter it. =Characters (Cast)= *Xehanort: A teenager who had hailed from the Destiny Islands. He was ill-content with his limitations, and wanted to go off to see more worlds. And he eventually got that chance when he was discovered by a Master Tetsu, a Keyblade Warrior. Despite his good intentions he is often brash, and eventually finds himself allured by the powers of darkness. Though at first he tries to fight it. *Eraqus: Another teenage Keyblade Warrior who has always lived a life of routine, always being serious and focusing on his studies. Xehanort however tried his best to get through to him, and the two became good friends while under the tutelage of Master Tetsu together. Eraqus focusing on trying to become a greater friend and less overly stoic. *Nexi (): A young female Keyblade Apprentice under the tutelage of Master Nomur. She is good friends with both Eraqus and Xehanort, and unbeknownst to her peers is actually a princess of heart. Giving her a heart free of darkness. In combat her primary focus was on the use of magic. (Similarly to her predecessor Master Aya, and her successors Aqua and Kairi) *Master Tetsu (Viggo Mortensen): A wise, good natured, and kind keyblade master who serves as a mentor and father figure to Eraqus and Xehanort. He is a noted philosopher who thinks deeply on the nature of the universe, the heart and spirit, and their workings. Giving him keen insight and intuition. He is not the greatest swordsman of the order or the most powerful magician either, but he remains adept at both and is a firm middle ground. He is known for using his speed and quick attacks while in combat. *Master Nomur (Laurence Fishburne): A more harsh, no-nonsense, tough-as-nails Keyblade master who is long time friends with Master Tetsu as they had been trained together in the tutelage of Master Yen Sid. He is considered one the greatest swordsmen and warrior, if not the greatest, to ever be a part of the order. He opposes the induction of Xehanort into their order, but is overruled by Yen Sid who allows it to be so. Leading to a growing tension between the two. When he was young he was much less tightly wound and when he discovered the power of darkness he became addicted to it, eventually leading him to do something terrible that he came to regret. So much so that he swore off darkness altogether. His combat focus is in greater physical might in his attacks. *Master Aya (Lena Headey): A third Keyblade master who was old friends with Masters Tetsu and Nomur. She eventually retired from fieldwork to become the keeper of the Land of Departure's library that contains several texts about the worlds, history, and mysticism. Her greatest focus is on the use of magic, and is said to be one of the best in the field who's ever joined the group. And having ran the library for so long and spending a lot of time their in her youth because of her fascination with them became very intelligent when it comes to raw knowledge, making her a notable scholar. *Master Yen Sid (Corey Burton): The grandmaster of the order of Keyblade Warriors who chooses to retire from the position soon after the discovery of Xehanort, Master Tetsu taking his place and inheriting the Land of Departure afterward. When Xehanort is brought before him Sid is skeptical as he sensed great power within him but was unsure of his future. After much deliberation he allowed Tetsu to take Xehanort as another apprentice. In spite of his retirement of being the grandmaster, he still takes an active role in watching the state of the worlds as well as continuing to take on Keyblade Apprentices. He is a centuries old being, and a diety sent by a higher power into the worlds in order to help protect them from a powerful creature of his kind known as Chernabog who decided to take the form of an old man. *Ansem: *Gobanrehc (Robert Englund): The main antagonist of the game. He develops a close bond with Xehanort, and he tries to teach Xehanort that darkness isn't something to be feared. He plans to turn Xehanort to Darkness as a part of his grand scheme. SPOILER: It is eventually revealed that he is actually the Black God Chernabog trapped in a weaker human form after his defeat at the end of the Keyblade War centuries before the events of the game. Manipulating events in order to roestore his great powers of old. *Sephiroth: The apprentice of Gobenrehc created in a secret project executed by Gobanrehc with cells from the deceased being known as Jenova. A project that also led to the creation of the Unbirthed when Jenova's cells were used in reanimation experiments. Gobanrehc hid these origins from Sephiroth however unsure of how he would react. Sephiroth became a warrior and went on to become a renowned hero within Radiant Garden. Gobanrech eventually tasks him with locating and killing the former king Elias' former assistant who he framed years prior named Ridley whom he also suspects of harboring the Radiant Garden's true king Ansem, Elias' son. Sephiroth believes in his master and thus thinks that the assassination is for the greater good. His journey thus bring him into conflict with the Keyblade Apprentice Eraqus who is also searching for Ansem. =World= *Land of Departure *Radiant Garden *Kingdom of Swords and Sorcery (from The Sword in the Stone) *Prydain (from The Black Cauldron) *Sherwood Forest (from Robin Hood) *The New World (from Pocahontas) *Treasure Planet (from Treasure Planet) *Oz (from Oz the Great and Powerful) Category:Games Category:Prequel Games